This article is dedicated to the story of what are types of drum sticks, and also about what the marking of the sticks means, and how to choose the sticks for one or another installation. The kind of drum sticks you use will affect the sound, speed and overall comfort of the game.
Types of drum sticks differ in types of heads (which, in turn, also differ in several parameters), material, field of application and thickness. Next we look at each of these classifications.
Types of drum sticks by type of heads: the shape and material of manufacture
It is customary to distinguish four basic types: cylindrical, round, spiky and drop-shaped. The size and shape of the head determines the duration of the sound, its volume and intensity.
1) Cylinder-shaped heads (born Barreltip) give a scattered and open sound due to the large area of contact with the drum surface.
2) Round heads (Balltip) level the differences in sound when struck from different angles and focus the sound, which is especially useful when playing cymbals.
3) Pointed-tipriangletip heads produce a sound of medium focus and, probably for this reason, are the most popular.
4) Teardrop heads (Teardroptip) look like spiky ones. Thanks to the convex shape, it is possible to control the sound and the area of contact with plastic by changing the angle of the stick.
Heads can be made of wood or nylon. Nylon gives a clear and distinct sound and is almost not subject to wear. Of the minuses can be noted in their relatively high price. Wood gives a soft and warm sound; the lack of wooden heads is the workability.
Types of drumsticks on the material: which sticks are better - wooden or made of artificial materials?
The most popular wood species in the manufacture of sticks are maple, oak and hickory (light walnut).
1) Maple sticks are lightweight and well suited for quiet and fast playing. They break down and wear out at the same time, they are pretty fast.
2) Hickory has a higher density than maple; hickory sticks are harder and stronger. They have the ability to dampen the vibrations that are transmitted to the hands upon impact.
3) Oak sticks - the strongest of wooden; they are the hardest and densest. For the manufacture of sticks oak is used relatively rarely.
Artificial materials for sticks are mainly aluminum and polyurethane. They are the most durable and often have the ability to replace individual parts.
Marking drum sticks.
The sticks are marked with letters and numbers (2B, 5A, etc.), where the number indicates the thickness (and the smaller the number is, the thicker the stick), and the letter indicates the scope. Below is the most common labeling scheme.
- Models "A" were intended for musicians performing dance music of big bands. They have relatively small heads and thin necks and allow you to extract a soft sound (suitable for blues and jazz). Model "A" is most popular among modern drummers.
- Model "B" was originally intended for symphonic and brass bands. They "sound" louder than "A", and are used in heavy music. They are also recommended for beginner drummers.
- Model "S" was intended for marching urban orchestras, where a large impact force and loudness of performance are required. The sticks of the "S" model are the largest and are hardly used when playing drums.
- The letter "N" indicates that the sticks have a nylon head. It is added at the end of the labeling (for example, "3B N").
As you can see, when choosing drum sticks it is worth considering a large number of nuances. Now you know everything about the main types of drumsticks and can be guided by this knowledge. If you successfully select the sticks, your sense of rhythm will simply “revel in pleasure” every time you touch the drum set.
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